Friday, December 18, 2009

Some good deeds are probably getting punished

I thought I could get through the month of December without doing any heavy-hitting columns. I wanted to keep things "light" because this is the Christmas season. But the reality is that this is a far different holiday season from any in recent memory. This is a season that lacks good tidings and there is very little comfort and joy. But what this seasons seems to have plenty of is the "bah, humbug" dispositions from so many individuals.

Perhaps because this year has been so rough, what is still true for the season is that we can hear the hark. And the hark this year came in the form of Rev. Al Sharpton. He was the keynote speaker at last Saturday's Pre-Kwanzaa Festival sponsored by WVON 1690-AM and held at the UIC forum.

Rev. Sharpton is carried on the station as the midday talk show host. I was skeptical about him, when he first came on the air, because I had been influenced by the media's portrayal of him. But after listening to him for the past couple of years, I, along with a lot of other people, have been converted into supporters. His ability to analyze a situation and hit the nail on the head was even more evident when he spoke before a room filled to capacity. From his never once needing to use a note as he addressed the crowd (for at least 45 minutes) to his "keep it real and call it like he sees it" speech, he brought many in the crowd to their feet more than once.

The crowd was very interesting, too. Because of the university setting, there were more young people in the room than I normally see at such an event. They, too, were applauding and cheering in agreement with Rev. Al - until Sharpton spoke on the subject that hit a little too close to home. When he spoke about why we are the only race to use a notorious pejorative term about ourselves and try to validate it by claiming we do it out of love, the young people in the crowed grew silent. Suddenly, it wasn't funny when they were on the receiving end.

Rev. Al didn't stop with critiquing the young. He got on black Chicagoans for having once had the mayoral seat, only to lose it to the son of the man who did us the most harm. He used a wonderful analogy as it applied to Tiger Woods, reminding us that it's no good to be an airplane if we don't have a place to land and without an airport, our only option is to crash and burn.

Now for a change of subject: I have, over the past couple of weeks, watched the race for Cook County Board president continue to take center stage. As I paid attention to all the shenanigans going on regarding that race, I have concluded one thing. When it comes to Todd Stroger, the old adage that "no good deed goes unpunished" soon came to mind.

Watching how he has been attacked by so many in the media has led me to use what my granny would call "convoluted black folks logic." What do I mean by that? Well if so many in the media, including the Better Government Association, have made it their business to dog out the County Board president, then he must be doing something very right in order to elicit so much criticism.

If so many are upset with what he's doing, then he must be helping black folks; otherwise they wouldn't care. He must be doing something very right and doing a very good deed in order to reap the punishment of criticism he's been getting. Because if you believe Daley is doing badly and no one says a word about him, then it's obvious that Stroger must be doing good in order to generate so much negative press.

And, yes, I know that the half-penny sales tax increase did put many in the collar areas near the border of this county in a catch-22. But is the issue that many have with Stroger really about half a penny or the billions of dollars he controls as part of the Cook County budget?

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Your perspective on Todd Stroger is one that I hadn't considered. I was all set to vote against him, now I am going to conduct more research before making a decision!

Rudy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Rudy said...

I refuse to vote for a liar and thief. Stroger couldn't even run fair and square in a primary, unlike his late dad.

Like I said on the now, defunct "Chicago Defender" message board before, "If Stroger wins in 2010, Daley wins in 2011".

Mostly, the 8th and 13th wards benefit from Stroger. Those don't sound like west side wards to me.

How many presidents (via money) has Stroger put in your wallet or purse?

Why is Cook County (I refuse to call it Stroger) Hospital allowing people from other counties (even mostly wealthy DuPage County?) for free? Why aren't the other counties' patients charge for *OUR* Cook County Hospital?

Why were *OUR* county commissioners eating a nice, hefty lunch at a Hickory Hills(?) country club recently, in the guise of a job training program? Hopefully, the video is still linked to Channel 2's website.

It's time for new blood in politics, with term limits and intelligent voting *NOT* solely based on race and political party.

Here's something to think about:

article 1
Scroll down to (or Ctrl F) to "poor baby"
(i.e. the 5th comment)

article 2

Arlene Jones said...

Rudy, Rudy, Rudy. Stroger is THE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNTY BOARD. Strange that in your entire rant, your failed to mention that it is the COMMISSIONERS WHO DO THE VOTING.

TODD STROGER NOR ANYONE IN HIS CAMPAIGN HAS NOT PUT A DIME IN MY POCKET. What I am functioning on is that it used to take days for patients to get their prescriptions filled at County Hospital and now it takes hours.

And if County isn't charging those from outside the area for service, I BET IT HAS A LOT TO DO WITH OUR ILLEGAL ALIENS WHO use services and would too have to be denied.

Was Stroger eating lunch with those commissioners?????? And I hope you don't offer DOROTHY BROWN AS A REPLACEMENT FOR STROGER. She is a Daley hack. Only getting involved in the race to upset another black candidate. Yeah I said it.

Rudy said...

westside: it's an opinion, not a rant. :)

Yes indeed the commissioners VOTE, but they VOTE ON ORDERS from Strogers who receives his ORDERS from Ritchie & Johnny Daley.

Some of the people are probably illegal aliens, who who/are given sanctuary by Daley and other Democrats.

Others are American Citizens of all races, genders, etc. Even insured people were told to put their insurance cards away.

Stroger arrived a little late in the video. He probably ate later. *ha ha*

I don't support Brown either. Anyone who makes speeches touting degrees and experience, but has no vision and no common sense doesn't receive my vote. I don't think she can handle her current office either.

Yes, I agree, she is a Daley hack (Who isn't these days?). Does it really matter? Stroger will still win in some way. :)

Rudy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Rudy said...

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